Refractory brickwork



April 28, 1942. w. R. McLAlN 2,281,200

REFRACTORY BRIGKWORK Filed Aug. 10, 1939 HIS ATT NEY.

Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UN H D STATE-S PATENT OFFICE REFRACTORY BBHJKWORK William Rex McLain, Chicago, Ill. Application August 10, 1939, Serial No. 289,511

2 Claims.

This invention relates to refractory brickwork such as used in furnace bottoms and particularly in the bottoms of blast furnaces, although not limited thereto.

Blast furnace hearths as commonly installed are usually made of standard brick shapes of fire clay. Experience has shown that a considerable number of the standard shapes commonly used in hearth construction float out of said hearths, thereby decreasing hearth and furnace life and increasing the risk of'premature furnace shut-downs and the loss of metal, and concurrent hazards and costs.

It is an object of this invention to eliminate or materially reduce hearth brick floatation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a refractory brickwork which is simple in design and onewhich is cheap and easy to manufacture and install.

Still another object is to provide a keying arrangement whereby all the horizontal joints in each key course are broken, thereby hindering to some extent any horizontal flow and penetration of molten metal.

A further object is the provision of an efficient brickwork of the type described in which each course of bricks is keyed in both horizontal directions.

The foregoing and further objects will be apparent after referring to the drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective of the refractory brickwork of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective of one of the refractory bricks which make up the brickwork of Figure 1; and I p Figure 3 is a perspective of one of the elements used to lock the refractory bricks in the positions shown in Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 2 designates a series of elongated refractory bricks which are oblong'in cross section. The wider sides of the refractory bricks 2 are transversely slotted adjacent one of their corresponding ends, these slots being rectangular in shape and designated at 3. The width of each of the slots 8, as illustrated by the line 4, is the same as the thickness 5 of each of the bricks.

' The depth of each of the slots 3, designated by the line 6, is one-half of the thickness of the bricks 2. 4

There are being manufactured at present standard refractory bricks of the form of the bricks 2 without, however, the slots 3. As an example, the 18 inch x 9 inch x 4.5 inch brickis cited. According to the construction of the present invention, one-half of a standard 9 inch x 2.5 inch x 2.25 inch brick will snugly oc- .cupy one of the slots 3 in the bricks 2 and an entire brick of these dimensions will serve as a key for two of the bricks 2, providing, of course, the latter are 18 inches x 9 inches x 4.5 inches. In

assembling the bricks 2 and keys, designated hereinafter at III, the former are placed upright with their grooves 3 adjacent their lower ends and with their narrower sides abutting, thus providing a-continuous groove. The next adjacent row of bricks 2 is similarly composed but with the abutted edges of the bricks in staggered relation with respect to the abutted edges of the bricks of the first row, and so on.

'The key bricks [0 are so disposed that they are in axial abutment with each other and with the abutted surfaces staggered with respect to the abutted narrower sides of bricks 2 of any given row.

4 According to the foregoing construction, the keys in are standard key brick of the size described while the bricks 2 are standard in shape except for the keying grooves designated at 3.

This provides not only for a refractory brickwork which is free from the objections referred to hereinbefore, but one which is inexpensive due to the fact that the bricks are of standard shape except for the grooves or slots 3.

In this construction the key bricks arranged. that each course of bricks is keyed in both horizontal directions.

' While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of the present invention, it will be seen that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made but staggered with respect' to, said first-named row; the contacting surfaces of the bricks of adjacent rows having opposed and similar rectani gular recesses to provide a continuous keyway extending longitudinally of the said rows; and a plurality of aligned rectangular keys disposed in said continuous keyway, said keys being of sumcient width, to extend between the opposed and similar rectangular recesses; the continuous 1ongitudinal keyway provided by the said recesses III are so being disposed most adjacent the bottoms of the rows of bricks and therefore remotely with respect to the surface of the hearth, whereby the major portions of the said bricks may be eroded by contact therewith of the molten metal without disturbing the keying provided by the continuous keyway and aligned keys aforesaid.

2. In a hearth for supporting molten metal, a single row of contacting, substantially identical rectangular bricks similarly disposed in alignment, whereby the surfaces of the bricks of each row are substantially flush; a similarly formed and disposed single row of bricks in contact with, but staggered with respect to, said first-named row; the contacting surfaces of the bricks of ad- Jacent rows having opposed and similar rectangular recesses to provide a continuous keyway extending longitudinally of the said rows; and a plurality of aligned rectangular keys disposed in said continuous keyway, said keys being of sumcient width to extend between the opposed and similar rectangular recesses; the continuous longitudinal keyway provided by the said recesse being disposed most adjacent the bottoms of the rows of bricks and therefore remotely with respect to the surface of the hearth, whereby the major portions of the said bricks may be eroded by contact therewith of the molten metal without disturbing the keying provided by the continuous keyway and aligned keys aforesaid; the joints between the plurality of aligned keys being staggered with respect to the joints between the bricks of both rows. A

WILLIAM REX McLAIN: 

